View from the Chamber
LOCHABER Ideas Week is just around the corner and we’d like to take this opportunity to invite everyone to attend the free Charles Kennedy Memorial Lecture on Friday November 17 at 5.30pm in Lochaber High School.
This year’s lecture will be delivered by Lord Thurso, a lifelong Liberal Democrat and current chairman of VisitScotland. He was honoured to be asked to present this year’s lecture in memory of his friend and colleague Charles Kennedy.
Lord Thurso is passionate about business in the Highlands, particularly the hospitality industry and the importance of creating an economic environment that will attract and keep young people here.
Born and brought up in Thurso, the then-Hon John Sinclair trained in hotel management at the Savoy Group in London, and went on to work at Claridge’s, the Berkeley and the Savoy before becoming Europe’s youngest manager of a five-star hotel (the Lancaster in Paris) at just 27.
Lord Thurso continued to have an incredibly successful career in topend hospitality, before moving into politics.
In 2001, he was elected MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, a seat he held until 2015. He has been, at various times, a member of the Liberal Democrat shadow cabinet, covering Scotland, transport and business.
In 2016, Lord Thurso was appointed chairman of VisitScotland, a role he relishes as ‘it combines my twin passions for service – the hospitality industry is about looking after people’s leisure – and public service helping promote Scotland’.
The Charles Kennedy Memorial Lecture is presented in partnership with HWEnergy. It is free of charge and open to everyone.
Book a place at www/lochaberchamber.co.uk/events, or call us on 01397 705765.